When turtles roamed the earth

Heather Moorhouse discusses the impact of climate change and poverty on the future of Indonesia.

''I travelled to Indonesia in the hope of spotting a few turtles - which amazingly I did (unfortunately not the teenage mutant ninja kind.'' ''Only small patches of healthy coral remained where there should have been large stretches of reef and an abundance of brightly coloured organisms.'' ''For those in poverty, the short-term future – how to feed your family - takes priority over long-term plans, which is bad news for the environment.''

Marine sea turtles have graced our oceans for over 100 million years, appearing at the time when dinosaurs still roamed the earth. But unlike their prehistoric counterparts, turtles have stood the test of time and are still found throughout our oceans. However, as we enter the 21st century, their existence is increasingly under threat.

Climate change is a major factor influencing their decline, but within this I believe that the difficulty for poor countries to prioritise conservation is one of the greatest threats to our turtles. When you are struggling to make the end of the week, long-term threats don’t seem so important.

I noticed this on a trip to Indonesia where I spent most of my time on a small island called Gili Trawangan. I travelled there in the hope of spotting a few turtles - which amazingly I did (unfortunately not the teenage mutant ninja kind). This trip was part of an overseas project for my degree, but if I’m honest we spent most of the time diving and chilling out on the beach.

However, it wasn’t all sun, sea and sand. What really struck me was the vast amount of dead and broken coral surrounding the shores of the island. Even when diving, only small patches of healthy coral remained where there should have been large stretches of reef and an abundance of brightly coloured organisms.

Dive centres and scientists alike agree that the main culprit for such habitat loss is global warming. Sea temperatures are rising too high for corals to survive, leaving many of the organisms they support, such as turtles, struggling for survival.

This was what I noticed about the environment, but then there was the poverty…

I have never visited a country where poverty is so obvious. You can’t go far without someone coming up and begging you to buy their wares, and trying to haggle with you for an eternity.

As an individual who hates people invading their personal space, I found the whole experience a bit difficult to get used to. But when you look at where these people live (generally houses made out of corrugated iron sheets or on the street beside their stalls), and the way they live (no clean water, sewage systems, or personal hygiene), you can see how desperate they may feel at times, and how privileged we must appear, and indeed are.

It was through experiencing Indonesian life that I was made to appreciate how challenging conservation is in less-economically developed countries. How can governments begin to involve communities in conservation when people are struggling to provide for themselves?

For those in poverty, the short-term future – how to feed your family - takes priority over long-term plans, which is bad news for the environment. I’m not sure if there is an answer to this. I guess we can support charities like Oxfam to help eradicate poverty, and then everyone will be in a better position to wake up to climate change.

International help is definitely needed in places like Indonesia - after all, intrinsic resources such as the coral reefs and the organisms they support, such as turtles, are unique and irreplaceable, and their loss will possess consequences for us all.